Local Resources

Gardens in your community

Other people’s gardens are wonderful places to see different design elements in context. You can see the types of plants that are grouped together, as well as the way that plants and outdoor spaces age over time.

Taking digital photos of gardens that are accessible to the public is helpful, too. Some public gardens in Los Angeles County include:

• The Huntington Botanical Gardens
• The Los Angeles County Arboretum
• Descanso Gardens
• The Getty Center and the Getty Villa

Public gardens in Santa Barbara include the gorgeous:

• Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
• and
• Lotusland

Nurseries and garden stores

A visit to your local nursery is a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with options for plants. You can see many different types of plants and installations in one location, which is often impossible to view in an actual landscape. There are also many specialty nurseries in Southern California which give you the opportunity to see some uncommon varieties of plants.